Leadership (Abuja)
Andrew Oota
3 April 2008
Instead of appearing before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for questioning and explanation of role in the N10 million health scam rocking the Senate panel on health, chairman of the committee, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, yesterday sneaked away to Cuba.
LEADERSHIP can authoritatively reveal that the embattled first daughter of the former president, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello who was slated to appear before the anti-graft commission, travelled to Cuba under the guise of attending a function of the Senate Committee on Education.
The Senate Committee on Education, chaired by Senator Joy Emodi, with Senators Tawar Wada, Jubril Aminu, Bob Effiong, Adamu Aliero, Mohamed Ahmed, Umar Hambagda, Wilson Ake, Kakama Mallam, Ahmed Lawal and Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello as members, is currently on an education tour in Cuba.
Iyabo had, on behalf of the Senate Committee on Health, through its committee secretary, collected the sum of N10 million to facilitate a foreign trip to Ghana last December, but the trip was hurriedly put together on March 20, 2008 when it was clear that the monies were generating controversies in the Ministry of Health.
Aside that, the two ministers of education were advised to resign their appointments and face the corruption charges against them by the EFCC, the chairman of the House Committee on Health, on behalf of his committee, following directives from the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, has since refunded its share of N10 million.
The committee members of the House of Representatives have equally appeared before the EFCC for questioning.
Senate president, Senator David Mark, LEADERSHIP gathered, has since directed the Senator Iyabo-Obasanjo led Committee on Health to go and defend its involvement in the N10 million scam.
The EFCC, LEADESHIP gathered, has invited the committee members for questioning, and to lead the committee are the chairman of the committee and the secretary.
Iyabo has also admitted collecting the sum of N10 million from the Ministry of Health, and justified the action by insisting that the due process was followed.
According to the committee, the approval of the president of the Senate David Mark was sought in writing and approval obtained.
But rather than appear before the EFCC to state her position and that of the committee, Senator Iyabo jetted to Cuba as if all was well.
A member of the Senate who spoke with LEADERSHIP on condition of anonymity said, "We are disappointed in Senator Iyabo and we would force her to resign her chairmanship of the Health Committee on resumption and equally make sure that she appears before the EFCC, because she is not above the law, and this is not the first time she has been named in this kind of scandal and we can not continue that way."
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